Welcome to the European Parliament

The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level. The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people’s interests with regard
to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically.

Powers and procedures

The Parliament acts as a co-legislator, sharing with the Council the power to adopt and amend legislative proposals and to decide on the EU budget. It also supervises the work of the Commission and other EU bodies and cooperates with national
parliaments of EU countries to get their input. See how it all works here.

Organisation and rules

Learn more about how an international, multilingual, political institution like the European Parliament functions on a daily basis. Find out about the procedures, the places of work, the people that provide support to the MEPs and the EP budget.

Democracy and human rights

The Parliament sees its role not only in promoting democratic decision-making in Europe but also in supporting the fight for democracy, freedom of speech and fair elections across the globe. Learn more about how Parliament stands for human
rights in the world.

EP in the past

Parliament has been steadily gaining powers through successive amendments of the European treaties which have given more and more clout to EU’s only directly elected body. See how the Parliament gradually emerged as a key player in the EU
decision-making process.

Over the years and with subsequent changes in European treaties, the Parliament has acquired substantial legislative and budgetary powers that allow it to set, together with the representatives of the governments of the Member States in the
Council, the direction in which the European project is heading. In doing so, the Parliament has sought to promote democracy and human rights – not only in Europe, but also throughout the world. Find out in details what the Parliament does,
how it works and how it has evolved in the institution that it now is.

At your service

Rules of Procedure

Article 232 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) states that the European Parliament shall adopt Rules of Procedure. These are Parliament’s internal organisational and operational rules.